Virat Kohli scored yet another century to take India to a 3-1 series victory against Sri Lanka by winning the fourth ODI of their five-match series by six wickets at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo yesterday.
Chasing a par score of 252 to win, India were in a spot of bother with the score reading 52 for two after the dismissal of Virender Sehwag in the tenth over when Kohli came to the crease. Soon it was 60 for three as struggling batsman Rohit Sharma fell soon after, before Manoj Tiwary went with the score on 109.
That was the last bit of joy for Sri Lanka as India’s other in-form batsman Suresh Raina joined forces with Kohli to take the game away from the Lankans. Their unbeaten 146-run fifth-wicket partnership came from only 18.4
overs. Kohli remained unbeaten on 128 off 119 balls with eleven fours
and one six while Raina hit an unbeaten 51-ball 58 with the help of four boundaries and one six to take India home with 7.4 overs to spare.
For Sri Lanka Lasith Malinga, Angelo Mathews, Nuwan Pradeep and Jeevan Mendis took a wicket each.
Earlier, part-timer Tiwary grabbed four wickets to help India restrict Sri Lanka to 251-8 after the home side chose to bat first.
The leg-spinner, playing his first match of the series, finished with 4-61 off 10 overs to boost his team’s hopes of clinching the five-match series. India currently lead 2-1.
Opener Upul Tharanga (51), Lahiru Thirimanne (47) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (42) were the main scorers for Sri Lanka, who were comfortably placed at 152-2 in the 32nd over after Tharanga and Dilshan adding 91 for the opening wicket.
Fast bowler Ashok Dinda broke the stand when he removed Dilshan, who was caught behind after cracking seven fours in his 48-ball knock.
Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin took two wickets and part-time spinner Virender Sehwag one in the day-night match.
Tharanga, who pulled Dinda for the first six of the match, fell soon after completing his half-century, stumped by skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni off Ashwin. He also hit four boundaries in his 73-ball knock.
Dinesh Chandimal (28) and Thirimanne put on 50 for the third wicket before Tiwary struck in his opening over, having Chandimal caught by Irfan Pathan at square-leg.
Off-spinner Sehwag got a big wicket when he had skipper Mahela Jayawardene caught behind for three to reduce Sri Lanka to 155-4.
The last match of the series will take place on August 7.
-With The Daily Star input
